Printing machines, such as rotary offset lithographic duplicating machines, rotary printing presses, or the like, normally include a number of cylinders and/or rollers such as impression cylinders, master cylinders, blanket cylinders, form rollers, ductor rollers, distributor rollers, regulator rollers, transfer rollers, oscillating rollers, and the like. An ink fountain, including a fountain roller, is disposed generally at the rear of the machine for feeding ink to the various rollers of the printing couple which transfers images to copy sheets. In such printing machines as rotary offset lithographic duplicating machines, a moisture fountain, including a fountain roller, also is disposed adjacent the printing couple for feeding moisture to the printing couple. In addition, there are other mechanisms, such as the various paper feeding mechanisms, which are rotatably or otherwise movably mounted on the machine framework.
In other words, such machines are substantially entirely comprised of relatively movable or rotatable mechanical components except, of course, for the various timing and operational controls of the machine. There are many bearings, bushings and the like which require periodic lubrication. The lubricating points are at many different locations on the machine, including at different elevations. Originally, periodic lubrication of such machines was done by hand. It immediately can be understood that manual lubrication was extremely tedious. In addition, the machine had to be shut down for safety purposes and in order to gain access to at least some of the lubricating points when the periodic lubrication was done manually by an operator.
Heretofore, there generally have been two general systems for eliminating manual lubrication processes, namely (a) gravity lubrication systems and (b) powered lubrication systems. A gravity system is very simple and inexpensive and generally comprises an elevated reservoir of lubricating fluid with a plurality of gravity feed lines running from the reservoir to a plurality of lubricating points on the machine. There is little or no control over such gravity systems, particularly in the amount of lubrication to be fed to the various lubricating points. One feed line may be "slower" than the other, and different elevations to the different lubricating points create different pressure heads. A frequent result with gravity feed systems is that one or more lubricating points will get extremely "dry" and damage the respective lubricated components and/or one or more lubricating points will have excessive lubrication which contaminates the machine. Another problem with gravity feed systems is that in many machines there is insufficient room at the top of the machine to accommodate the lubricating fluid reservoir, or else the reservoir simply was placed above the machine creating very undesirable aesthetic problems.
Powered systems best can be described generally as some form of powered mechanism that "squirts" lubrication at the various lubricating points. Such systems can be highly controlled both in volume and timing. However, such systems are very expensive, require many components which must be interspersed in already crowded spaces, and the expense simply is cost prohibitive for most print shop type machines or presses. In addition, it is more desirable to lubricate the various components slowly or gradually, as with "droplets " of lubricating fluid as in a gravity feed system, which is difficult to accomplish with powered systems.
This invention is directed to solving the above problems and/or dilemmas of prior lubricating systems by providing a unique system which incorporates the advantages of both a gravity feed system and a powered system but eliminates the disadvantages thereof.